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Filing for divorce after 18 years of marriage was excruciating. It felt like jumping out of an airplane,(hoping the parachute opens) not knowing how to survive financially after being a sahm for over a decade, being in workforce only couple years in a support position, etc.
It's almost time for me to make another jump in a facet of my life. I'm purposely being vague here, for now. (not about a romantic relationship)
I know you all can relate.
Part of the time my mind ruminates on the "what ifs". What if I am not smart enough, what if I am too old, what if....
The other part of the time, it is exciting- the idea of a new chapter of my life.
It's just scary. I feel afraid.
If you have been here, what types of things were helpful in getting you to push through?

I always tell myself that my fear is a good sign--paradoxically, I think it shows that the step I'm thinking about will be great for my growth. And it's not good to give in to fear and let it rule our lives....so jump!

Taking risks is very scary! It may take more than one (or three!) attempts. But good things come from taking chances, taking risks, making decisions that don't have a guaranteed outcome.

What's the worst that could happen?

I took a risk. I bailed out on my career after 10 years and took a new path. I was not happy. I needed a new direction. So, I did it without knowing where I would end up or how I would get there or even, really, where I wanted to end up. I just knew I needed to leave where I was. So, I took an exploratory path. I ended up in a place that so many strive for and I tripped into it! Now I have an extremely satisfying career.

But with regard to your ruminations... yeah, yeah, yeah.... what IF? You'll never know unless you try! What if you aren't really cut out to be a bullfighter, college professor, or event planner? How else are you going to learn? Then you can say..."well, I thought it was a good idea, but it didn't turn out to be all I had fantasized about". Then you make a new plan. Hell, not having a plan and just floating into the unknown can result in some pretty awesome experiences.

[This message edited by Snapdragon at 7:00 PM, March 29th (Saturday)]